Macbeth

It took her two days to feel ready to leave the house. She had only booked the room for two nights, and the next guest would be ready to move in any time. During her down days, she did exercises with her team. She and Tixe cleared all the furniture out of the living room so they could spar together (Tixe won handily every time). She did yoga with him, Quirk, Joy, and Reseda while Azure lounged in the bathtub and chatted with Belle. At one point, she put her bathing suit on and dropped in with him. Belle spent the majority of her time being in any room that Macy was not, but the rest of her Pokémon thrived on the abnormal amount of attention they were getting during non training time. They even all slept together in the living room, like a camp-in.

When she was finally dressed and able to go, she wasn't surprised to see several people hanging around the house, trying to get glimpses inside. She brushed past them with squared shoulders and her head held high.

Milo's challenge was to herd twenty Wooloo through three small gates. She was allowed one Pokemon to assist her, and that would be the Pokemon she would use in battle. She was supposed to battle trainers between each set of gates, but none of them wanted to stand against her. She and Quirk set the record for fastest time, and were one of ten trainers throughout the years to complete the task on the first time through.

Milo himself was a bit trepidatious about their battle. However, when he remembered Simple, he gritted his teeth and gave the battle everything he had. His three Pokemon were downed in one shot each, including his Dynamaxed Eldegloss.

"I pulled out all the stops." He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "But it looks like that wasn't enough, huh?"

Macy received his badge in silence. She ignored the crowd that had gathered outside. Some of them were calling her name in excitement. Others were cursing her. Rotom made nervous noises, hovering close to her shoulders.

She went directly to the Hulberry stadium and booked an appointment to battle Nessa the next morning. Unlike in Fieldcrest, Macy opted to stay in a room at the Pokemon Center. It was easier for her to have the Nurse Joy give Azure the okay to battle.

"His electricity sacks seem well healed." Nurse Joy smiled as she handed Macy back the luxury ball. "Your Lanturn shouldn't have any problems helping you challenge Nessa tomorrow."

Macy nodded. "I appreciate it. Azure would be devastated if he couldn't battle."

Nurse Joy's face was soft. She patted Macy on the shoulder. "I don't care what they say about you, Miss Macy Beth. I know how deeply you care for your Pokemon."

Her mouth twitched into a semblance of a smile. "Yeah."

She couldn't help but think back to the terrifying night it had happened. She had scolded him for slacking off, and then they went to bed. But Azure got up to practice without her knowledge and started challenging wild Gyarados to underwater battles on his own. He overdid it, and had a seizure. Macy only woke up because Quirk sensed something was wrong.

Azure had washed up on the shore of Lake Miloch, seizing and foaming at the mouth. Electricity was sparking from his belly and his antennae. Macy scrambled to put on her rubber gloves and boots and turn him so he didn't choke on his tongue. It took nearly ten minutes for the seizure to end, and then he couldn't stop crying. Macy soothed him as best as she could. He didn't want her out of his sight. She had to force him back into his Pokeball. She left her camp where it was, all of her equipment and spare balls, and rushed towards Motostocke.

She happened to run into an Officer Jenny looking for poachers, and was given an emergency transport to the Pokemon Center. The Nurse Joy in Motostocke transferred Azure to Hulberry, and Macy spent a sleepless night trekking there by foot to be with him. His seizure was why she had gone back to Spikemuth last October.